You are here:

Council issues regulated dog declaration on dogs involved in Home Hill attack

Posted on16th Nov 2015

Burdekin Shire Council has issued the owners of the dogs involved in an attack in Home Hill earlier this month with a proposed regulated dog declaration on both dogs.

Council’s Governance and Local Laws Manager Dan Mulcahy said Council had completed its report on the incident and issued the notice under the Animal Management Cats and Dogs Act 2008.

“With the issuing of this notice there are mandatory condition with which the dog owners must comply, such as not taking the dogs off the property unless they are muzzled and that each of the dogs are under the effective control of one person,” he said.

“The owners have 14 days in which to appeal the declaration.

“Pending any representation, Council’s next step would be to issue a Regulated Dog Information Notice.

“Again the owners will be allowed 14 days to appeal this notice, but if no appeal is made then 21 days from the date of the notice there will be mandatory conditions imposed for keeping regulated dogs.”

Mr Mulcahy said it was the responsibility of all dog owners to ensure their animals were kept secure within an enclosure or yard.

“Gates must be kept shut and, if you have a driveway, make sure the animals are restrained while vehicles enter or leave your property,” he said.

“Owners should also be aware that even though your dog may be friendly to you, it doesn’t mean it won’t hurt, scare or attack someone else.

“This doesn’t just relate to larger dogs – all breeds are capable of attacking, even in the presence of their owner.

“As a regulated animal there will be stringent rules applied to the dog for the rest of its life such as higher registration fees (currently $348), the animal must be desexed, there are specific fencing requirements in which to keep the animal, council must be advised if the dog is moved to another location or given to another person, a yellow regulated tag must be worn at all times by the animal and it will have to be muzzled when it’s taken off the property or out of its enclosure.”